Lake Trivia for You and Me

Lake Trivia for Me and You
That’s the name of my newest book so it’s the perfect trivia post for Memorial Day weekend, the start of summer vacation. Here we go! Good Luck!

                                                    First Up – The Great Lake Challenge, With Two Questions - 

1. How many US states touch at least one Great Lake?                  5          8          11          13
  
2. What word can help you remember all 5 Great Lakes. Hint – it’s an acronym with one letter from each lake so the word has an S, M, H, O, and an E. Good luck!
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Sources:

1. https://www.traveltrivia.com/answer-how-many-u-s-states-touch-at-least-one-of-the-great-lakes/
2. https://quizzclub.com/games/bonus/what-is-the-meaning-of-the-sentence-my-very-excellent-mother-just-served-us-nine-pies/answer/509916/​

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​There are . . . 8 states. In ABC order, they are Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin. Can you find them on the map?

Do you know which country touches 4 of the Great Lakes?
If you guessed Canada, you’re right!
The Lake left out . . . Michigan.
The lakes from West to East are SMHOE (small hoe, for a garden)
 
And the acronym – did you guess HOMES? 
                               H – Huron           O – Ontario           M – Michigan           E – Erie           S - Superior                             

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​Next Up – The Great Salt Lake and Two More Questions: I picked these images to give you an idea how big the lake is. The first is a 2018 satellite shot. The second is from an airplane window. And now, your  questions!
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1. Which state is home to the Great Salt Lake?         Colorado        Utah        Arizona        Nevada
 
2. Which body of water has the most salt?
                           The Great Salt Lake                           The Dead Sea                           The Oceans

https://scihub.copernicus.eu/dhus/#/home

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User:Bobak

Sources: 1. https://www.traveltrivia.com/answer-which-u-s-state-features-the-great-salt-lake-2/
              2. https://www.livescience.com/56941-great-salt-lake.htm
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​It’s Utah! Look on the map above to find the Great Salt Lake. I think it’s the big white dot.

In first for salt content with 33.7% is The Dead Sea. No wonder nothing lives there.

Look at the satellite image above. The lake is 2 different colors. A causeway for trains divides the actual lake. The northern part has 30% salinity, right behind the Dead Sea.

The southern part ranges from 5 to 27%. I remember visiting when I was little, but what I remember most, is how much it stunk. I wonder if the Dead Sea stinks 3% more.

The ocean – only 3.5%. No wonder it’s so full of life! The Great Salt Lake has brine shrimp, brine flies, and algae in the water. Birds also live here or visit when they’re migrating.

BTW, this causeway photo is for cars not trains, but it gives you an idea what the lake looks like, up close.

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Third in Line – The Underground Lake and Two More Questions: These underground lakes are huge, and they're in Europe. There is one in the US that’s 140 feet below the surface and 5 acres in size.

Where is that lake?          West Virginia          Virginia          Kentucky          Tennessee
Who discovered it?              A cave explorer              A geologist              A child

Cross Cave, Slovenia

Dragon’s Lair, Mallorca

​Sources:  1. https://www.traveltrivia.com/answer-where-is-the-largest-underground-lake-in-the-u-s/
                     2. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/the-lost-sea-exploring-americas-largest-underground-lake-tennessee/
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Look for this huge lake under the foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains in Sweetwater, Tennessee. The Lost Sea is about an hour south of Knoxville. The Cherokee found shelter there in the 1820’s. Confederate soldiers made gunpowder there during the Civil War, but no one ever found the lake.

It took a 13-year-old boy. Ben Sands was exploring the cave in 1905. He found an opening about as wide as a bike tire. I wouldn’t crawl inside, but Ben did, about 40 feet. When the shaft stopped, Ben dropped into the lake and waded out until the water hit his knees. I’m glad he decided to go back and tell someone what he’d found. BTW – a school bus is about 30 feet in length. Walk 10 more steps. That’s how far Ben crawled. 
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​Last, but not Least – One Final Question about Smoky Mountain Lakes:  The Lost Sea is below ground, but there are lakes above ground in the Smokies. You’ll find them in Western North Carolina and East Tennessee.  This is my lake, Norris Lake. It’s north of Knoxville, in East Tennessee.

​How many lakes can you find in the Smokies?         
         4         7         10        13
 
Source: https://piddlin.com/library/points-of-interest/lakes-of-the-great-smoky-mountains

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                        If you guessed 10, you’re right! The Smoky Mountain Lakes are:
Fontana Lake, North Carolina                                                           Lake Nantahalas, North Carolina
Douglas Lake, Tennessee                                                                     Wolf Creek Lake, North Carolina
Lake Glenville, North Carolina                                                         Tanesee Creek Lake, North Carolina
Bear Creek Lake, North Carolina                                                    Tellico Lake, Tennessee
Norris Reservoir and Lake, Tennessee                                         Melton Hill Lake, Tennessee     
       There are also 3 creeks inside the park. They are: Eagle Creek, Forney Creek, and Hazel Creek. 

Do you recognize Norris Lake on my book cover? I wrote about the fun my family had there. I hope you’ll take a look at it, then get out to your favorite lake for some fun too. The best part about the book – there’s room for you to record your own lake fun, then go home with your own personalized souvenir.